COASTS OF AUSTRALIA. 
23 
mile and a half to the southward of the north east * 
trend of the Cape. Here the coast is low and Feb. »■ 
sandy, and is of shoal approach. A small clump 
of mangrove-trees on the beach was the first 
sign of vegetation that we had seen ; and, from 
the absence of verdure hereabout, is a con- 
spicuous object. The thermometer stood at 89°. 
The ebb tide then commenced and drifted us out 
near our last night’s anchoring ground, and the 
evening was spent, without success, in searching 
for our lost anchor. At sunset a fresh breeze set 
in from the S.W., and fearing a repetition of our 
loss, we continued under sail during the night, 
which was past with great anxiety; and not 
without reason ; for when the day broke, we found W- 
ourselves within one mile ot the reef off the 
S.W. end of the island in the north east, (which 
proved to be Captain Baudin’s Muiron Island,) 
and drifting towards it so rapidly, that in less than 
half an hour the vessel would have been thrown 
upon the rocks. Standing to the eastward we 
discovered the three sandy islets— h, i, and k; 
and at noon, we were near two other sandy 
islets, y, and z, which appeared to be the 
north-westernmost of a group of low, sandy, or 
rocky islets, extending to the S.E., beyond the 
limits of our mast-head view. The islets, y and 
z, are of circular shape, and not more than a 
